Incisive Marketing

I’ve been writing a lot of web copy lately. So, this great post ( and image) from Chris Garrett over at CopyBlogger really struck a chord. When I reflect on the value that I add as outside marketing help for technology companies, one of the recurrent themes is that I act as a bridge to the outside world. Specifically, part of my value to an organization is that I’m not inside the crucible. I’m usually not in the line of fire with sales, customers, engineering, or the board anymore. In the past, when I ran the marketing function as an employee at technology startups, I remember the hammering from all sides about what customers or prospects were really thinking, or what they really needed.

Well, after a couple of years of distance from those environments, I’m here to tell you — prospects aren’t thinking about your product the way that you are. They’re doing just fine, thank you very much. They certainly don’t want to learn your jargon or otherwise have to work to understand what you are trying to sell. Prospects are people first, with their own fundamental challenges (survival, health, money, families, career, aging, dignity, etc.) and only buy products or services that somehow connect to these needs — even in so-called business-to-business transactions. The trick, of course, is to align what we’re selling with the soup that our prospects find themselves in. And, the challenge is that it is nearly impossible to hear that prospect’s voice over the din of operational meetings, goals, and monthly and quarterly objectives.

When I write copy for a company as an outsider, I see my job as bridging the gap (or maybe abyss) between what we sell and the real-life concerns that the reader (or prospect) lives with — a job made more effective by doing it from outside the crucible.